Broken Bells

There's been a ton of advance buzz behind this new collaboration between the Shins' James Mercer and Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton), but unfortunately the full album doesn't quite deliver on the promise. To be fair, there are some great moments when Burton's psych-flavoured production rubs up against Mercer's introverted pop songs, but often it just sounds like dull songs dressed up in glitter and tie-dye.

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Burton deserves some of the blame for the album's shortcomings as well, even if his creative engineering is the high point. He gives us some gorgeously layered textures and swirling atmospherics, but then backs those up with tepid and forgettable beats. Complaints aside, there's a lot to enjoy here, but considering the mountain of hype, it's a bit of a letdown.